A Portland man charged with hitting and killing a pedestrian in SE Portland was denied bail. Vincent Timothy was crossing the entrance to Eastport Plaza when a red pickup truck struck him on the sidewalk and dragged him underneath the carriage. The District Attorney looked to prove through witness testimony and footage that the driver acted with a conscious intent, citing testimony from witnesses who described the suspect flooring the truck and the fact that he did not offer any assistance to Timothy.
Prosecutors argued there’s strong evidence that Frederick Moore, the suspect charged in connection with the collision, intentionally killed Timothy. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Thomas Ryan denied bail for Moore, 40, after a two-and-a-half hour hearing, rejecting the defense lawyer’s argument that Moore mistakenly hit the gas and struck Timothy without intent.
Police located the pickup at 1 a.m. the following morning – with help from Weeks, who gave the license plate to a friend that relayed it to an operator. Police arrested Moore about six hours after finding the truck. An autopsy report shared in court said Timothy suffered “extensive and devastating crush injuries.”
One witness told police the driver “floored it” as if “using all his might to push down on the gas pedal.” The woman said she saw the pickup attempt to hit the bicyclist. And as she drove north, she told police she saw the driver in her rearview mirror exit the vehicle on 82nd Avenue.
Video and images introduced to the court show Timothy getting struck. The truck then made a U-turn on the opposite side of the street and turned left back onto 82nd, driving over a sidewalk and attempting to hit a bicyclist. The driver of the truck then parked, checked on Timothy and drove south, fleeing the scene.
In denying bail, the judge said the “proof is evident and the presumption is strong of murder in the second degree.” Moore is set to remain in custody pending a trial.
